Operating mechanism for washing-machines.



T. H. ALFREDS.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, I912.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI I.

/ajx jwezzZ or 71,2221)! reds OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28. 1912. 1,165,377.

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OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED 001. 28. I9I2.

1,165,377. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

III

roams H. Arrears, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

nine.

OPERATING MEc'I-IAiIIsivI FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

fiaea'ei za To all whomitmay concern: 4

Be it known that I, TORRIS H..ALFREDS,' a citizen of the United States, and 'a resident "of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new :and

"i j useful Improvements in Operating Mechanisni for l/Vashing-Machines; and I-do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and xact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of-this specification.

This invention relates to "an improvement -in operating mechanism for washing chines and the like "and consists 'of the matters hereinafter described and more partic ularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is shown herein as applied to the operation of a washing machine of familiar type consisting of a tub having a hinged top upon which is supported a shaft which depends into the tub and is provided at its lower end with a dolly or *dasher adapted for rotary, reciprocatory movement by means of which the clothes and wat'erare first s-stirred in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

In the 'drawings.:-Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a washing machine provided with my improved operating mechanism. Fig. is a view in side elevation of a washing machine provided with my improved operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a view 'representlng a transverse vertical section on enlarged scale taken one plane "indicated by the line 343 of Fig. 1. Fig.

41s :a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a high speed fly wheel mechanism adapted to be operated in connection with my improved operating mechanism. Fig. -'5 is a "fragmentary view illustrating a modified forlm of high speed mechanism adapted to be operated in connection with improved operating mechanism.

Now referring to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, 10 indicates the tub which is supported by legs 10. and has its top'ol-osed'by a suitable lid 11 that is hinged to a stationary member 12 forming a part of the top of the tub, by

-meains of hinges 11, 11 A 'wiringe'r beard I T0 is arranged at right angles to the stationary member 12 land al so forms a part of the'top wall of the tub.

ii indicates the 'do'lly or beater which is non-rotatably connected ,toa dolly or caper -Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Dec, 28, 1915,

Application flied. October 28, 1912. Serial No. 728,051.

from the top of the hinged lid 11 of the tub. Said shaft has bearing in a sleeve 15 which projects through an aperture in the lid of the tub, and which is made integral ating shaft 13 that is rotatably supported with a plate 15 secured to the outer surface lever 18 is journaled upon the fulcrum pin 17 so as to be capable of oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane. lever 18 comprises a power or operating arm 18 by means of which oscillatory movement may be imparted to it and two oppositely extending load arms 18 18 The outer ends of said loadarms 18", '18 are provided with spaced apertures 18. Means are provided for operatively connecting said loadarms to "said operating shaft 13 comprising a yielding, non-elastic belt 19 made of leather, rope or steel woven cable, preferably the latter on account of its suitable qualities, which belt is secured at its ends by su-itablehook members 19 l9 to the load arms 18", 18*, by means'of one of the apertures 18. a'roundthe groovedpulley 16 and is preferably rigidly attached at its "center to said pulley so that it will not slip or slide thereon,

as by means of a clip 16 In said belt are provided, as shown, turnbuckles'19 19", adapted to take up'slack. The said apervariation of the angle through which the "operating shaft 13 may be rotated without "affecting the angle of oscillationof thebellcrank lever. I

Said bell-crank The said belt is passed,

men't of the belt 19, thus providing for Ial On "that side of the tub body 10 adjacent the hired top member 12 thereof is located vertically arranged prime-mover lever 20. Said lever comprises armsQS, 23 arranged at right angles to each other, and is mount- "e'd upon a fulcrum pin 21 fixed upon a bracket plate secured to the upright side wall ofthe tub body. A balance wheel 25 is rotatably m'oi'mt'ed upon "a :secondfulcrum pin 26 formed upon the said bracket plate 22 and is 'operatively connected to the arm' 23 of the lever 20 by means of a link 24.

To the arm 23 of said lever 20 is pivotally secured one end of a universal link 27, the other end of which is pivotally secured to the outer end of the operating arm 18 of the bell-crank 18. It is apparent that a rocking movement of the prime-mover lever will transmit an oscillatory movement to the bell-crank lever 18 and said movement will impart a rotary, reciprocatory movement to the operating shaft by means of thebelt 19 and the grooved pulley 16. To assist in the oscillatory movement of the double armed bell-crank lever 18, provide upon the power arm l8 thereof an upright lug 18 to which is attached one end of a contractile coiled spring 30, the other end of which is attached to an upright lug 17 formed upon the base-piece 17 near the inner end thereof.

The spring will assist in the movement of the bell-crank 18 each time it passes the center, thereby greatly lessening the power required to move the same to either limit of its movement. The inner end of the said base-piece1 7 is formed to provide a rest 17 for the lid '11 when the same is in its open position. To assist in keeping the belt 19 taut when the lid is in open position, I proing mechanism, I may provide a high-speed -mechanism located beneath the tub and to this end I employ a construction, as shown in Fig. 4. In sald figureymy improved opcrating mechanism is indicated by the same reference numeral as before but instead of a balance-wheel 25, I provide a grooved wheel journaled upon said fulcrum pm 26.

Secured'to the under side of the bottom 1 structions herein shown, I do not wish to be1'- wall 1O of the tub is located a base-plate 36 having a depending stub-shaft 37. Rotatively mounted upon said shaft and secured diameter.

in such position-by means of a nut 37 is located a fly-wheel 38 of comparatively large Made integral with said flywheel is a grooved wheel 38 of small diameter around which passes an endless belt 39. The said belt is trained over pulleys 10 and thence around the grooved wheel 35.

The pulleys 40 are rotatively supported in a bracket member 41 secured to the tub-body, which is capable of adjustment so that the belt 40 may be maintained in its proper tautness. I may, however, prefer to place the high-speed mechanism upon the side of.

the tub and to that end I provide a con- ;of the tub body.

struction such as shown in F ig. 5 and instead of theIbalance-wheel 25, a spur-gear I fulcrum-pin 18 fixed ,to an extension 22 of 7 the bracket plate22 secured to thejside wall It is readily apparent that a washing machine 'made in accordance withimy inven tion possesses many advantageous features.

The construction described allows of the placing of the lever mechanism on that side of the tub adjacent the fixed top-member 12 z so] ofthe tub, therebv givingthe operator'a more free access to the interior. of thetubbesides overcoming the great objection of springing the hinged connection between, the stationary topwall of the tub, and the lid,

caused by placingthe operating mechanism on thelid in a plane parallel to the hinges.

This construction acts to evenly distribute .the stress to themarginal adjacent edges of the stationary top'member and .the lid,thus 9O taking the strain off the hinges: In addition the weight of said lidis greatly reduced and this weight reduction is of great'consequence both to the operator and the manufacturer.

Again, when thelid is raised to an open position the connection between the operating mechanism and the dolly-shaft is not disconnected in any manner and said lid may be open regardless of the position in which the operating mechanism stops. Also 1:

the angle of r'otationof the dolly-shaft may be adjusted to accommodate a lighter heavy load within the tub without disturbing the adjustment of said operatingmechanism;

The construction is extremely smooth andlil noiseless in operation on account of the absence of gearing which' also greatly" diminishes'thedanger to .the operator. It is particularly adapted for use iniconnection with high-speed mechanismfor'the reason L:

that when the'tub-lidis open none ofsai'd mechanism is' within reach or sight of the operator. w i While I have described the details of conlimited thereto except as pointed outin the appended claims. v I claim as my invention 1 1. An operating mechanism for washing machines and the like comprising a fixedifl ciprocatory operating shaft vertically disposed in said hinged support. flexible operaw tive connections'between said bell-crank 'le ver and said shaft. and a balance-wheel located upon the fixed support and operatively connected with said prime-mover. r

.. 2. An operating mechanism for washing machines and the like comprising a fixed support, a prime-mover mounted thereon, a double arm bell-crank lever also mounted thereon and operatively connected with the prime-mover, a hinged support, a rotary, reciprocatory operating shaft vertically disposed in said hinged support, flexible operative connections between said bell-crank lever and said shaft, a balance-wheel and means operatively connecting said Wheel to said prime-mover, said means including speed increasing gearing.

3. An operating mechanism for washing machines and the like comprising a rotary, reciprocatory shaft, a double armed bellcrank lever adapted for oscillatory movement, said bell-crank lever comprising a power arm, and transversely extending load arms arranged at right angles to said power arms, means operatively connecting said reciprocatory shaft and said arms, a primemover lever and means operatively connecting said lever and said power arm.

4. An operating mechanism for washing machines and the like comprising a fixed support, a prime-mover mounted thereon, a double armed bell-crank lever also mounted thereon and operatively connected with said prime-mover, a hinged support adapted to be swung from a horizontal to a vertical position, a reciprocatory operating shaft vertically disposed in said hinged support, flexible operative connections between said bell-crank lever and said shaft, and means adapted for retaining said flexible operative connections in proper position when said hinged support is ineither a horizontal or vertical position.

5. An operating mechanism for washing machines and the like comprising a fixed support, a prime-mover mounted thereon, a double armed bell-crank lever adapted for reciprocatory movement mounted thereon, and operatively connected with said primemover, a second support pivotally secured to said fixed support at their adjacent edges, said support being adapted to be swung from a horizontal to a vertical position, hinges connecting said supports, a vertically disposed reciprocatory operating shaft disposed in said second support, flexible operative connections between said bell-crank lever and said shaft, means adapted for retaining said flexible operative connections in proper position when said hinged support is in either a horizontal or vertical position, said means comprising clips through which said flexible connections extend, said clips being secured to the edge of said second support adjacent the fixed support, the lower lateral edges of said clips being in line with the center of said hinges.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of October A. D. 1912.

TORRIS H. ALFREDS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE R. WILKINs, KARL W. DOLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

